Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Spiritual Warfare Tips

As believers we frequently talk about warfare, spiritual warfare, but what does that mean in real life? We all experience the challenges of living, whether they are small inconveniences or situations that seem to challenge our very lives. These are different in many ways. But they are clearly in opposition to us as a whole human on the earth here to be a part of God’s kingdom and to spread God’s kingdom. So what exactly do these challenges have to do with spiritual warfare? To answer that we have to consider who we are.

We are the temple of God if we are believers, according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:17. Here it says that God will destroy anyone that defiles the temple. If your body comes under attack for any reason, whether a person or circumstance, God will go after that source and destroy it. Secondly, remember that we are spiritual first and then physical. That is the way of things in creation. They start with the spirit side, in God, and get created into material things. So if something is attacking us, it started in the spiritual before it ever appeared in the physical. That is just the way it works. Paul knew this when he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians telling them that they were spiritual and the weapons were spiritual. What are these weapons and how do we use them?

In Romans 10 Paul talks about a power we have. It is not physical, but it affects the physical. It is the power that changes us forever from lost sinners to believers saved by grace. It is the power in our mouth. Let’s put a few things together here. If we pray without ceasing (out of our mouth), if we use the tongue for good as James admonished us, and if we speak the things that God has said first to ourselves then we change our minds, we build our faith. We have to fight at the smallest level first, and get to the place where we can fight bigger things, like giants. This is why James said both good and evil should not come from our mouth. When I think of how often I have gotten upset about the simplest thing and said something stupid, it makes me sad. No man can rule his own tongue by himself. But with God, all things are possible, and if we will but commit to verbalizing God’s truth to our selves through out the day, we will be fighting and winning the smaller battles and preparing for the bigger ones.

Prayer
Father, thank You for putting the power in us through the spirit of living water that can pour out of our mouth. Thank You for this day in history that the Jewish people call Shavuot that is the day You sent Your Holy Spirit to indwell us. Thank You that You help us to learn to control our tongue that our power might be released to defeat our enemies in our prayer, praise, and speaking. In Jesus name. Amen.